The downtown streetscape isn’t finished just yet. The expenditure of garbage cans was on the action item list at the February 10 Peotone Village Board meeting. The trash cans aren’t cheap, but they were cheaper than the original cost included in the bid. These trash cans were $732 each, with $627 in shipping costs for a total of $5,019, and they’ll match the ones that were purchased for the pocket park.
Trash didn’t get so easily tossed though. Trustee Todd Sandberg threw in a tidbit.
“What’s the timeline on having a downtown sound system to go with this? I think it’d be a help with the Farmer’s Market, Christmas in the Village, obviously the car show. We’d like to get some more events down here. I know we have a dozen temporary garbage cans that I came across that we throw out for events, but I’d like to see some sort of timeline on a sound system.”
Mayor Peter March said they had looked into it but never received quotes, and that it was something the village could look into.
A building department training for $5,000 was tabled after Sandberg threw in a comment on that, as well.
The two-day training would have trained village administration on site regarding examining the role of the person with first contact when processing a permit, reviewing and defining projects and responsibilities of staff, and creating and interpreting an outline of basic function of the building department.
Sandberg suggested he would have liked to have seen the expense come before the building committee for discussion. He also asked if it would be an annual expense.
The village administrator said it wouldn’t be an annual expense but apologized for not thinking to bring it to committee first. Trustee Gary Hudson suggested the trainer might not be as knowledgeable as expected. Trustee Nick Strba asked if B & F, the vendor offering the training, could bring it to committee to review it next week. Village President Peter March suggested it be tabled to the next meeting.
An authorization to replace administrative computers for an amount up to $7,000 was unanimously approved. Palmer said several of the computers were aging and affecting productivity. The monthly contract with Leading IT for $5,000 a month does not cover replacement of equipment, so this would be an additional expense.
A resolution approving a ground lease agreement with Pavlov for a 10 x 10 foot space at 918 Wilmington Road and granting easements for the placement of Pavlov’s utility equipment was approved. The village will receive free access to the fiber internet as a result of the agreement.
Another payout to Iroquois for the Streetscape also was approved. Payout IV to Iroquois is a partial payment of $715,266.75 of which the village retained 10 percent until punch list items were approved. The remaining balance is $327,736.73. The total for Payout IV was $1,043,003.48 and included final construction and landscaping, along with a snow fence, Aqua water main clean up, idle time for utility conflict, masonry and excavation work for coal chute windows, and installation of radiant heat to a single business on Second Street.
Trustee Todd Sandberg is the husband of Editor, Andrea Arens. Any coverage of his activity is not an endorsement of such.